Punishment
by MasterBakatare
Summary: For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.
1. Prologue: Aftermath

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Prologue: Aftermath

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome. Also, though she was not his actual punishment, she may as well have been.

His prison was simply his room in Asgard with special wards and a barrier that Kagome set up that refused him exit but allowed all others to come and go as they pleased.

Loki's real punishment was the purification that she had been so trigger-happy with.

Threatening an Asgardian?

ZAP.

Trying to escape?

ZAP.

Sighing pretentiously?

ZAP.

But strangely, within the last few weeks, Loki found that he did not feel as adverse towards the sting of purification as he had in the beginning. In fact, he began doing little things he knew would get him in trouble "just because."

Perhaps he was becoming immune to the sharp tingle? Perhaps Stockholm syndrome was setting in? Or perhaps he just enjoyed the way she crossed her arms under her chest, accentuating her cleavage, every time before she zapped him for doing something stupid.

Loki had never heard of a being becoming "immune" to a priestess's purification, so he really hoped that it was Stockholm syndrome.

xxx

Mb: thought I should post this before the new movie comes out and completely kills all of this. I'm going to try to post a chapter a day—though there are no real promises. This is just something that I thought up one day and, even though I have so many other random, non-completed stories, I thought that if I forced myself to write a short chapter a day, I'd be fine. I'll probably go back and delete all the other stories though. Or most of them, at least. Maybe I'll do major revising. Lord knows they could use it. Anyway, till tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 1: Speechless

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 1: Speechless

When Loki first met Kagome, she had been fairly adamant about not speaking to him. Thor had escorted her into the room, informed Loki of Kagome's role, and turned around to leave.

"Does the priestess not speak?" Loki stared in simultaneous curiosity and annoyance at the steel-eyed woman standing remarkably close to Thor. Kagome grabbed his wrist—lightning-quick, _very_ impressive for a human—and proceeded to clear her throat.

Thor turned back around and placed a warm hand on Kagome's back; Loki noted the dusting of pink that tinted her porcelain cheeks, "She does speak, but she shall not to you."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the god of thunder, "father's orders?"

Thor smirked and looked down fondly at the small, Asian girl. "No, she does not wish to speak to you for fear that she will become _friends_ with you."

And for once in his long life, Loki had no idea what to say.


	3. Chapter 2: Stubborn

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 2: Stubborn

"_You_ will not speak to _me_, so _I_ shall speak to _you_, priestess." Loki ventured from one end of his lavish prison to the other, memorizing the length of the room, as well as the material of the marbled walls. He turned to look back at Kagome, and smirked at the look in her eyes.

"_I don't have to listen to a word you say,_" they seemed to say, and Loki couldn't help but laugh.

"Such expressive eyes. You were the one who volunteered for this post according to Thor." He began to walk toward her, and she turned her face away, but Loki saw her true feelings nevertheless, "Oh, well, then. You must have done something wrong."

Kagome's gaze snapped back up to his, and her message was again clear. Chuckling, he edged closer to her, "No? Well, you must think yourself to be quite powerful to volunteer for a task such as this."

She rolled her enchantingly blue eyes, and crossed her arms beneath her chest. He put his hands up earnestly, "I did not mean to offend, _my lady_."

Loki watched as Kagome turned her nose up at him, and walked a bit further away from him. It struck an ire in his gut he had not felt in a while—a playful annoyance. Turning his stride accordingly, he followed her as she fled around the perimeter of his prison. Both were acutely aware that the other was not being serious, or their chase would end in seconds.

"Look at me, girl." After a few turns about the room, Loki's temper wore thin, and he lost enthusiasm for their little game. When she ignored him, he used his magic. Pulling his body forward in a green shimmer and grabbing her forearm, Loki hissed, "I said _look at me_, g—"

His body jolted to a stop, and he convulsed and fell to his knees. His hands, in front of him, propped his body against the floor. "By the Gods…"

Absolutely disoriented, he looked up at the triumphant Asian woman before him, and made a mental note to definitely try that again.

Loki was nothing if not persistent; it may have hurt, but there was no way the priestess would out-wit the master.


	4. Chapter 3: Masochistic Tendencies

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 3: Masochistic Tendencies

Every day, Loki lounged as Kagome collected their meals from Thor. He would yawn and look away, and generally avoid his brother's gaze, but he could not hide his curiosity of the hushed conversations his prison guard would start with the noisy god.

"Her cheeks," he would silently muse while slyly looking past the fingernail he was fussing over, "seem almost fevered, and she plays with the bottom inches of her hair in an annoying way." But it was when she would giggle softly and shuffle from foot to foot that Loki would grow tired of watching her bashful attempt at charming his brother. To remedy the situation was easy enough; staring straight at the thunder god, he would send a soft pulse of his weakened magic, which Kagome would notice immediately and stiffen, calling Thor's attentions back to Loki. Kagome and Thor would then exchange pleasantries, and Thor would leave Kagome with the food.

Loki appreciated that she didn't sulk, but certainly didn't appreciate that she would she would zap him while handing him his tray. It always caused him to jolt and tip his drink all over himself. There really was no way of winning with her, he decided, but he continued to test her temper out of principle.

It was after a full week of observations that Loki made his first real strike: "Even if you _pine_, dear, he already _has_ a human pet."

He swallowed a yelp as a purifying shock shook through his body. "I take it you know, then," he managed after a moment.

She looked into his eyes, and Loki saw all he needed to know. "And yet," he murmured, "you continue to pursue." He smiled, "Persistent girl." Loki chucked when he saw her shrug nonchalantly.

"So, you've done this before then? Well, might I point out that you may be a masochist." Loki picked at the meat on his plate, and Kagome looked smugly over at him as she chewed her bread.

He sighed, He He "Well, it's not like I _ask_ to be zapped."

"Except that you definitely _do_."

Loki, who had begun to sulkily munch on some fruit, immediately stopped and looked up at Kagome who was now giggling at his expense. He smiled back at her cheekily.

"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

ZAP

xxx

mb: Thanks to everyone who has faved/followed the story thus far! I hope that I will continue to entertain!


	5. Chapter 4: Heckler

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 4: Heckler

It had been a good week-and-a-half since Kagome had spoken to Loki for the first time. Though he had heard her speak before—since she frequently socialized with his brother in front of him—Loki found that her voice was much nicer when she spoke to him.

"You spoke to me once already, priestess. Is there any point in continuing your childish silence game?" He stared across the room at her; watched as she yawned and rested the back of her head against the door. "No use feigning disinterest, dear. You know as well as I that you are required to be absolutely alert at all times."

Finding that he couldn't seem to get a rise out of her, he stood up, and began to make the short trek over to her on the other side of his prison. "37 short strides," he recited in his head, "hollow bottom from strides 5 to 7, 15 to 17, 25 to 27, and 35 to 37. Most likely pillars; knowing the layout of the palace, I am probably above one of the secondary dining halls." Loki refocused on his surroundings at this point, surprised that there had been no blinding shock even though he stood less than two feet from Kagome. She stared him directly in the eyes, and he couldn't help but grin.

"Oh? You have never let me this close to you before. I believe you are beginning to grow fond of me, girl." He watched as she rolled her eyes, and took a breath to speak. "Well—"

"What's my name."

Loki boldly took a step further, and leaned toward her and smiled cheekily, cupping a hand behind his ear. "Sorry?" Kagome stared warily at his eager expression, but did not move an inch.

"I _asked_ you if you know what my name is."

Loki stood up straight, and smiled, "I do."

"Well?"

"Why is it so important?"

Kagome pushed back on the wall she was resting against, and cracked her neck with a contented sigh, "Why shouldn't I just zap you back to your little throne over there?"

Loki took a step back, yieldingly lifting his hands up and together before placing them by his side. "Kagome," he said finally, "your name is Kagome."

ZAP

Loki sat, thrown back into his chair, winded and still tingling full of spiritual energy, "What in the name of—"

Across the room, he heard Kagome yawn again, "If you know my name, then use it, Loki."


	6. Chapter 5: Homesick

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 5: Homesick

Since the previous week, Loki had been zapped with more frequency. Also since the previous week, Kagome had been talking to him quite regularly. More often than not, she would tell him contradicting and mundane stories of her home: trekking through forests to pick herbs for poultices, and running to catch a train to school; the comforts of her mother's hugs, and the reassuring jangle of her friend's monk staff. Although her voice had been wonderful company, Loki couldn't help but be curious as to the place of her birth; where could she have come upon the feudal luxuries in the concrete-casted cities he had tried to invade nearly a month before?

On this particular day, Loki's curiosity caused an unscratchable itch in his gut, and so _he _began to speak to _her_: "Where is it, Kagome, that you come from."

She looked over at him, and her soft blue eyes became grey steel. "Tokyo," she said simply, staring him directly in the eyes, daring him to question her. His pupils dilated, his itch becoming quite severe, and he sat up straighter in his seat.

"Suspicious. Priestess—" ZAP, "mm, _Kagome_. Could it be that you are trying to trick the trickster?" Kagome's gaze shot to the door, and with a few long strides, she was at the exit.

"Do you need to use the restroom? Perhaps you'd like a bath? I could call Th—"

"Tsk tsk. I cannot allow you to change the subject, Kagome. How many stories have you told me of quaint, thatched-roof villages and lush forests that take days to travel through only to follow them with tales of harrowing maths tests and late public transportation?"

She looked rather annoyed for a moment, "I could travel a lot."

"And yet you told me you were frequently sick in your school days."

"Could have gotten sick from travelling."

"Possible, but unlikely based on the frequency of your illnesses in your stories."

Loki smiled as she pouted and refused to look him in the eyes. He watched carefully as she self-consciously hugged her arms beneath her chest, and waited for a zap. When one didn't come, he ventured, "a little knowledge goes a long way."

She peeked up at him with pink cheeks, "I _have_ basically told you my whole life's story, huh?"

He smiled back at her as she walked back toward her seat next to his, and he patted the seat lightly, "My dear Kagome—" he held his hand up lest she zap him again, "I have learned to be frugal enough to derive one's tale from a single story. I am simply pleased to hear of the places you call home."

Loki watched her as Kagome smoothed the back of her tunic as she sat down. "I wasn't lying. They're both Tokyo; simply in two different times." She fiddled with the loose ends of her thick hair. "I'm really grateful to be here," she turned to look Loki directly in his laughing green eyes and smiled, "I'm really grateful that I got to meet you—even if you _are_ a criminal—and your family has been so wonderful to me, but…"

The devious god sitting next to her understood perfectly, and when she looked away shyly, he took the chance to place his cold hand over her radiantly warm fingertips. "There really is," he said in the most solemn voice he had ever heard escape from his throat, "nothing like home."

Kagome, who had been startled by his frosty fingertips, looked down at their hands and back up at her prisoner before smiling more genuinely than she had since she arrived in Asgard.

"Yes," she said. "I hope we can find it again some day."


	7. Chapter 6: It's Only Love

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 6: It's Only Love

Kagome had stopped flirting so heavily with Thor, and for that, Loki was grateful. It had become unbearable—for reasons he completely understood and was completely annoyed with.

It was not that he had "grown fond of her," because the fallen god knew that it was much more perilous than that. Her purifying zaps—as well as her absolutely adorable "you're in trouble" looks that inevitably followed—had become addictive, and the most irritating part of it all was that he really, truly didn't mind at all.

"Love" was a word that he thought had been long exiled from his vocabulary and life, and yet here it was returning again like Mjolnir to its master, and Loki welcomed it back in a put off sort of way. He was certainly glad for its return—he thought he'd never hear of it again—but he wasn't sure he _should_ be happy.

He was certainly suspicious with his own complacency; after all, she could very easily reject him, and he would be alone again. But something more than his own feelings was causing him distress. He watched as she bade farewell to the thunder god, and turned around with the food tray. As she bounded toward Loki, her face lit up, her ruddy cheeks absolutely alight, and the delicate tips of her hair, which Loki had come to absolutely adore—along with the rest of her, really—bounced cheerfully.

Loki felt slightly queasy as he picked at the juicy strawberries on his tray. "Loki!" He heard Kagome giggle, "Those are supposed to be your desert!"

He smiled back at her, his eyes unable to hide his unease, "Ah, well, I never have played by the rules. There is no reason to start now." Loki saw the happiness leave her features—he supposed he should have tried harder to mask his discomfort—but gave her a softer smile as she turned back to her own meal quietly. Kagome didn't ask him questions; she understood he needed space, and that it was not her place to pry. Loki watched her tuck into her meal, with an absolute confidence in her crisp, cobalt irises.

Loki loved Kagome, and that didn't particularly bother him, but Kagome trusted Loki, and that is what troubled him the most.

xxx

mb: watch everything fall apart in the next few chapters. I labeled this story "comedy/romance" because it is, but there's a huge chunk of drama (and no option for a third genre) coming up.


	8. Chapter 7: Caged

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 7: Caged

A total of forty-five days had passed since Loki had been assigned Kagome as a guard, and a total of sixty days since he had been removed from Midgard. Teasing his sentinel had become his pleasure, and he was nothing if not a master of the art of teasing. But he was to be completely honest, recently his teasing had become flirting, and he couldn't deny that he was absolutely loving it.

"You have a beautiful name," Loki said as he paced around his room with his fingertips lightly dragging across the cold, rose-colored walls, scanning the cracks. "From which country on Midgard does it originate?" Loki grinned, and he could almost hear the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Th-there's a country on Earth—Midgard, or whatever you call it—called Japan. That's where Tokyo is; that's where I'm from."

Loki turned to Kagome, and smiled gently at her, "Do you miss Japan?"

Kagome sighed, and settled herself deeper into her cushioned chair by the exit, "I do. But I know that I have to be here for now. There isn't much I can do about it." Loki stopped his counting, carefully filing away his gathered information to re-explore again later, and stared at Kagome.

He suddenly realized that she was a prisoner here too.

"Why can you not leave, dear?" He asked, hardly breathing.

"Well, I mean I _am _your guard," she teased, but saw the deep green that had settled in his irises, and knew that he was not in a laughing mood. She looked away, "I… I was revealed to be a priestess, and so they collected me." Loki didn't need to ask who had done so. The contentment that had settled comfortably in his gut evolved into a bubbling anger. When Kagome finally seemed to notice the silence that had fallen over them, she looked up and frowned, "You've gone so pale… Please, Loki, don't worry about it; I'm glad that I'm here now! Like I said before, I'm so thankful—"

"You did not "volunteer," as Thor led me to believe?" His eyes, now a poisonous green, shot toward Kagome, and—though she knew his anger wasn't aimed toward her—her spiritual energy began to bubble beneath the surface of her skin.

"No, no, no! I did! SHIELD found me and brought me in, but Thor came to me to ask if I would be your guard, and I agreed of my own free will. I thought that anything would be better than to be used by SHIELD. Please… Thor saved me from that life; he really did!"

Loki swallowed his temper, and walked over to her. Placing his hand on her cheek, he smiled, "Do not worry, Kagome. I am not upset." He really wasn't; he was determined.

Loki decided that it was time for him to break loose from his cage. He would break out, and make absolutely sure that Kagome would have the option to leave if she wanted to.


	9. Chapter 8: Prison Break

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 8: Prison Break

Loki took five days to plot and perfect his escape. He also took those five days to completely envelop himself in everything that had to do with Kagome. Loki memorized the smirking curve of her smile, the dusty pink in her cheeks when she blushed, the playful caress of her aura when they had conversation.

On his final evening with Kagome, he saw her settle into her small cot, blow out her candle, and fall asleep. Loki watched, feigning sleep himself, until he saw the rhythm he had been accustoming himself to for the last week. Carefully, Loki slid off of his bed. Loki knew that Kagome was a heavy sleeper, so what was worrisome for his escape plan was her absolutely inscrutable aura that would be able tell her if he used any bit of magic.

The first night he practiced his escape, he tested how far her magic spanned and found that it was absolutely everywhere. He expanded his magic—a tendril a hair's width and no longer than his pinky's cuticle—and immediately he felt the suffocation of her purification as it forcefully squeezed the magic right back into his body. What astonished him even further was that, upon looking over at Kagome, he found that she was still fast asleep!

It took him the last three nights to perfect the art of completely swallowing his magic deep into his gut, withholding it so deeply within his body that the cage of purification energy didn't even register him as a magic-using being. Apart from that, his plan was simple: he would slip out through the keyhole. By pressing the tip his finger into the small hole, he could send his energy to the outside of his cage, and use it to pull himself through.

Silently, he moved across the floor, until he reached the heavy, stone door that stood between Loki and his goals. With a last, longing look at Kagome, he reached out for the keyhole.

"Don't do it, Loki."

His head whipped back to look at her, "Kagome." She was sitting straight up in bed, and although he knew she couldn't see him in the blackness of night, he could see her as clearly as ever.

"You shouldn't do this, Loki."

"How did you know?" He watched her lay back down, and pull the covers up to her chin.

"Five nights ago, you used your magic. Every night after that, I felt you burying your magic deeper and deeper into yourself. But no aura can be wholly erased if you know what to search for, Loki."

He frowned, "I am not doing this for myself."

Her lips curved into a tired smile, and she turned her face away from him, "Nothing anyone does is completely altruistic."

Loki felt his stomach squeeze, "Just let me go—we will both be better for it in the end."

He heard her laugh, and the last thing he saw before her purification incapacitated him was a stony veil of indifference in her beautiful blue eyes that utterly broke his heart.

"I'm so sorry."

xxx

mb: Thanks for hanging in there with me, all. I really do appreciate the favorites, follows, and reviews! Hope this chapter didn't sound too forced. There were several directions I wanted to go in, but I ultimately decided on this one. Let me know your thoughts (if you feel like it) in the comments.

Also, I forgot to update yesterday (oopsie daisies) so I'll update twice today. Here's the first; the second will published before the end of today, I promise... unless I forget again.


	10. Chapter 9: Ramifications

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 9: Ramifications

When Loki awoke he found that was once again bound and gagged, as he had been when he left Midgard, in the chair in his prison room once again.

"Dear brother," Loki looked up to see Thor staring down at him. Loki wished that he could have use of his hands so he could strangle the blond god. "I am surprised it took you so long to try to escape! Kagome is a good guard, is she not? You see now why we chose her."

Loki began to struggle to look around the room in which he had been re-placed. "She is no longer here, brother. From this moment, it is I who will be your guard. That is, until Father finds another." Loki watched in annoyance as Thor laughed heartily. "She was a good friend, and because of that, she cannot be your guard anymore." The thunder god stretched and yawned.

"I can take the muzzle off," Thor said after a moment. Loki nodded, and Thor began to stride over, "You must understand why I cannot take off your cuffs." Thor smiled when Loki gave a second, begrudging nod. "You've grown, brother," Thor said softly as he removed the mask covering Loki's face.

Loki rolled his eyes, "I would like to see Kagome."

Thor sighed, "You cannot. You are lucky that Father is letting you stay in this nice room after all that has taken place."

After a moment of silence, Loki slouched deeper into his seat, resting his chin on his fists in front of him. He felt more tired than he had in his entire existence, more remorseful. "It is not her fault, brother." Thor gave a start; he couldn't remember the last time Loki had called him 'brother.' Loki looked up at him with the single most earnest expression Thor had ever seen. "Please, don't let her be punished for this." Loki had never seemed so complacent and defeated, and Thor couldn't help the rush of pity that flooded his gut.

"Worry not, Loki," Thor said. "She was able to subdue you, and therefore her punishment is simply that she can no longer be your guard."

Loki looked away, pleased that there would be no harsh reprimand for her kindnesses, but quite devastated that he would probably not get to see her again for many years—perhaps ever again, if he ended up being imprisoned longer than her lifespan.

"I'm sure you will see her again, brother." Thor said, understanding the look in Loki's eyes.

"You say this," Loki sighed, "and yet I somehow doubt that Father will be lenient after an escape attempt—failure, though it was."

"Worry not, brother. I will speak to Father in your stead on these matters. You have done many wrongs, but I can see that you have truly changed for the better." Thor gave his brother a rousing clap on the back, and laughed boisterously at the annoyance on Loki's face.

"Thank you, Thor."

xxx

mb: Well, here's the second chapter I'm posting today. Sorry again for my forgetfulness! Oh well, I'll try to better about it. Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 10: Father Knows Best

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 10: Father Knows Best

"You know why you are here, Loki." His father's beard was greyer than he remembered it to be.

"I do."

"What was your plan, then, exactly?" From his throne in the empty hall, Odin looked quite intimidating. Loki, however, as he stood several feet away, still bound by his wrists, and shackled at his ankles, was hardly amused.

Loki sighed. This trial was trivial; he knew his father wasn't going to do anything exceptionally drastic—since Odin had not done anything extreme to Loki when he had tried to take over earth, there was no way that he would do anything worse for failing to break out of his prison. "I was going to use my magic to escape through the keyhole." Loki refused to look at Odin.

"My dear boy, why did you possibly think that would work?" Odin warily looked over his delinquent second son. "He really needs a haircut," the Allfather amusedly thought to himself. Of course, there really was not much Odin would do to Loki; he loved the boy too much, and a parent would do anything for his child. Odin also knew, however, that Loki was clever enough to have worked this out for himself, so the King of the Gods was going to make this as painstaking as possible. "Loki," he said. "I asked you a question."

There was another few seconds wherein Odin knew that Loki was testing his patience, "BOY—"

"I hoped that she would let me go." Loki turned his face to look his father straight in the eye.

"Ah, so it was arrogance then? Did you believe you had charmed her?" Odin settled into his seat, and chuckled at Loki's annoyance.

He heard Frigga quietly sigh behind him, "Girl problems." Odin smiled when he saw Loki's cheeks color.

"It is not a _problem_," Loki muttered. "Anyway, she did not let me pass."

"No," Odin said. "She did not."

"If you have only brought me here to mock, then—"

"Now, Loki. Calm your temper. Thor has spoken to me in private, and has explained the situation as tactfully as he was able. He recommended enthusiastically that you remain as you have been. He seems to believe that this punishment is enough in itself, and I believe I understand now why that is."

Loki felt a pang in his gut; his sentence was long—nothing but a trifling for a God, but longer than any human would be able to last no matter how hearty they were. Both of his parents were able to discern in a second what he had wished to keep for himself forever, and it irritated him, but Loki also hoped he could sway them because of it. "She will die decades before I will see the light of day next." He did not have to fake the appearance of sadness as he shuffled his body to look at the vast beauty of Asgard from the open wall to his right.

Odin's eye softened at the piteous sight of his younger son mourning for an unexpected love that he believed would never come to fruition. "She will live the life of an Asgardian if she picks a God."

Loki quickly turned back toward his father, "has she been told?"

Odin nodded, "she is well aware. I do not believe she intended to stay forever, but when I spoke to her this morning, she seemed equally determined as you, son." The Allfather watched the gears in Loki's brilliant mind spinning on full tilt. When the boy looked up at Odin again, the mischievous sparkle had returned to Loki eyes, and his skin seemed almost flush.

Loki, logically, could hardly let himself hope, but his cold blood pumped through his veins just a tad faster at Odin's implications.

"Do you accept your sentence, son? Kagome will no longer be your guard, but your punishment will remain unchanged. I will find another to be your guard, however, be warned that if there is another trifle like this one, I will not be lenient the next time around."

Loki nodded. He just needed to behave himself for the next five decades or so, and then he'd be free to see Kagome. That wouldn't be so hard, right?


	12. Chapter 11: Informal Inquiry

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 11: Informal Inquiry

The moment Loki had been subdued and Thor had been contacted, Kagome was whisked away to the chambers of the Allfather. Guilt danced in her gut as the golden-clad guards roused the great God. After a few moments of unintelligible, irritated shouting, Kagome was called into the room.

Both Odin and Frigga were sitting on their respective bedside seats in their nightgowns. Kagome flushed. "So sorry to bother you both." She bowed a deep 90 degrees, until Odin grumbled at her to quit being so formal.

"It is too late into the night for me to give a rat's _ass_ about formalities, so get on with it, girl."

"Loki attempted to escape." Kagome looked down with shame, the color draining from her cheeks and coloring her chest a bright red.

"Well, did he get out?" Odin sighed impatiently. Kagome vaguely thought to herself that Loki inherited the Allfather's temperament, though the trickster was usually better at hiding it.

"No, sir."

"Well then why the hell did you wake me up at this ridiculous hour? You did your duty fine! Go back and watch the boy to make sure he doesn't try again."

Kagome's gaze whipped up at her superiors, and she awkwardly opened and closed her mouth as she tried to come up with the right way to express her hesitance. "W-well, sir, I don't think that I'm really fit to watch him anymore."

"Oh?" It was Frigga, tired of Odin's grumbling, who responded this time. "And why is that, dear?"

Kagome looked at her, bashfully fiddling with the tips of her long hair, "Eh, well, the only reason he tried to escape is because he knows that I am fond of him now."

Odin laughed, and Kagome looked back over at the aged God. "Dear girl, knowing that boy's arrogance, he probably believed he had seduced you like all of the others he manipulates."

Kagome looked away, and her silence was enough for the Gods. "So he has, then? Charmed you?" Frigga's voice was soft, gentle, and it made Kagome long for her own mother.

"I think you should find another guard for your son," Kagome looked back up at the Gods with the steeled resolve she mustered within herself the moment before she subdued Loki. "Cast me back to Earth, or punish me for my incompetence; I really don't care. I will not be his guard anymore."

A pregnant silence stifled the air in the room, and after a few tense moments, Kagome was ready to turn around and leave, no matter the consequences, but Odin's voice—much kinder than it had been minutes before—rang in her ears. "You will not be punished. You did your job as it was assigned. I will find Loki a new guard. However, know that you will not be cast from Asgard unless you wish it."

Frigga stood, and stepped toward her, "Your talents are many, dear. You will be able to find a home anywhere in the realm you wish to settle in." She hesitated, "…and, if you wish to see Loki again, you can become a priestess within the kingdom and will be able to partake of the Golden Apples of immortality."

Kagome was taken aback by their kindness and sincerity. "I… just… thank you so much; I would like to stay, but I'm worried that staying will make things worse."

Odin sighed, "Think it over, Kagome. It sounds as though you may be the only dame foolhardy and stubborn enough to try and tame my wily beast of a son forever."

Kagome blushed, the dusty pink creeping all the way up to the very tips of her ears. "I'll think about it. Thank you again." She bowed and left their chambers.

As soon as the doors shut, Odin turned to Frigga, "I bet she chooses that idiot son of ours for her patron."

Frigga chuckled as she got back into bed, "I have always wished for a daughter."

xxx

mb: So Odin is a grumpy old man, eh? Well, it's not _that_ surprising, I suppose. Also, I deleted all of my other stories because—wow, they needed it. Maybe I'll get around to rewriting them later, but for now, this story is my main focus.

Also, as it turns out, things did NOT get dark at ALL although I thought that they were going to. I guess moments of Loki being mopey, but I kept things light. Oh well. Sorry if you were looking forward to it, I guess.


	13. Chapter 12: Reflection

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong and stuff.

Chapter 12: Reflection

Kagome was escorted to a room, which she was notified was hers. She thanked the two Asgardian soldiers escorting her, and went to lay down on her bed. She couldn't care less that she was still dressed in her fancy guard's uniform. Kagome let her eyes close as she sank deep into the softest mattress she had ever laid on. "My God. It's like I'm laying on a cloud!"

She giggled to herself as she nuzzled deeper into the sheets, but sighed as her mind drifted back to Loki. "He's just an idiot." She told herself, but the troubled stirring in her stomach didn't subside. "I really don't know why I'm so disappointed." She curled onto her side, "I knew that, if I let him get to me, he would try to escape. He was just so damn persistent."

Staring at the pearly white walls, Kagome felt lonelier than she ever had before. "I can't go home," she said. "If I do, SHIELD will find me again, and nothing will be able to protect me this time." Agent Coulson had made her nervous; he didn't seem like a bad person, but he had looked at her as demons had the Shikon.

"I'm simply interested in what you can do, Miss Kagome." He had said to her with that unyielding and uncanny smile plastered on his face. "No harm will come to you or your family; surely you understand." Kagome had never felt more fear than she had in that moment. Naraku was scary, sure, but this man managed to terrify every last molecule in her body in a way that the evil Spider had never been able to.

When Thor had come to proposition her to be Loki's guard, Kagome was tempted to weep with relief and thankfulness. Thor had kept her with him for the remainder of the week on Earth to teach her about Asgardian culture, and what her job would be, and Kagome will admit she fell for him a bit. He was so much kinder and gentler in handling her than Inuyasha had been, and although Kagome knew that Inuyasha was being kind in his own way, she couldn't help but be taken by Thor's bright personality. On their last day on Earth, however, Thor had visited Jane, and Kagome understood that she would play second fiddle again if she tried anything, so she accepted that nothing would ever happen between the two of them.

When they finally arrived in Asgard, Kagome mourned the loss of her home and family; she presumed they would be told that she was dead by the SHIELD agents, and that she would never be able to see them again regardless of whether or not she was ever able to return to Earth.

Loki had truly been a breath of fresh air for her. She had that feeling in her gut the moment she saw him—that they would get along well. He was truly the physical opposite of his brother, but Kagome felt that, somehow, Loki would be more of a threat to her heart than Thor had been. So she told herself that she would never speak to him, because how can a friendship grow if she was determined to hate him?

And yet he managed to best her will time and time again, and she found that she wasn't quite so lonely. Kagome wondered if he would grow to hate her as his jailor, but happily went along with their friendly chats. She would never forget the way he absolutely lit up like a little child when he sincerely laughed. After only a few weeks, surely enough, Kagome had found herself stuck deep in a trap, which she had no intention of trying to get out of.

She knew she was being stupid for encouraging her own affections, but she swore she saw reciprocation in his eyes; that day he had gotten so angry for her at SHIELD he had looked at her with such a desperate rage in his eyes, his beautiful emerald-green eyes. But Kagome hardly let herself hope for a second, it seemed, before he tried to break out.

"I am not doing this for myself," and, "We will both be better for it in the end," Loki had told her, but Kagome knew better than to trust his words. In spite of good intentions, there could be no absolutely altruistic act. Kagome understood this better than most—having been beaten over and over by the concept in the Feudal Era—and had not let anyone wish on the Shikon when it had finally been completed. She embedded the jewel back in its original resting place—her scarred hip—and found that her priestess powers had increased many times over, leading her to be in this unhappy situation. She would have thought that Loki would have understood this as well; due to his own experiences with the concept due to his dealings with the Frost Giants that started his whole attempt at tyranny on Earth.

Kagome saw that Loki had grown, but not quite enough, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Asgard, no matter how much she wanted to. She sighed, and closed her eyes, unable and unwilling to keep them open any longer as the full weight of her feelings for the last month-and-a-half came crashing down on her chest. She felt heavy and tired, and tears ran softly down her cheeks.

Kagome counted her breaths until she calmed down, and buried herself underneath the silken sheets. "I'll sleep now and talk to Thor in the morning," she murmured to herself resolutely. "Maybe I don't have to leave yet."

She let her body fall deeper into sleep, hardly noticing when she mumbled to the darkness, "Goodnight, Loki. Sleep well."


	14. Chapter 13: Friendly Banter

Punishment  
Inuyasha-Avengers  
Kagome-Loki  
Comedy, Romance  
Series  
For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 13: Friendly Banter

Kagome awoke the next morning to a muted knocking on her door, feeling worse than when she had gone to bed. Groaning as she pulled herself to the edge of her bed, she shouted, "Hold on! I'll be there in a moment!" She yawned and tugged at her hair, desperately wishing she could at least brush her teeth or something before she had to see her first visitor of the day. Shuffling toward the door, she groggily rubbed at her eyes, none too surprised when the door opened before she got there, "What d'you want, Thor."

Thor's booming laughter did nothing for her temper that morning, but the God was oblivious; having lived his whole life with Loki, Thor was fairly accustomed to moody morning tempers. "Kagome! Good morning to you too! I trust that you are doing well!"

Kagome sighed and stretched forward and back, "As well as can be expected, I suppose. I can see you're happy to be up this morning. How's Loki?"

"Ah, well, Loki is well, if not in a bit of a mood. You can see him today, if it would please you!" Thor smiled down at his brother's love.

"Hm, well. I may take you up on that offer."

"Loki is very blessed to have won the love of one such as yourself, Kagome." Thor empathized with the young couple who were cursed to remain apart for so long. He sighed, "If I did not have Jane…"

Kagome looked up wryly at the radiant Thunder God, "Well, if you didn't have Jane, you'd certainly be lonelier; I'm pretty sure that my feelings were inevitable." Thor laughed, and Kagome yawned again.

"Right you are! But perhaps I would not have let you see Loki!" Kagome rolled her eyes, knowing how much he enjoyed their platonic banter.

"You would have. It was necessary to take me to him. I mean, who else would have been able to keep him in line!"

"I suppose you are correct; although I did take the risk of your powers not working on him, I was sure you would persevere." His tone grew very sincere; Thor couldn't let her forget just how important she was.

It was Kagome's turn to laugh, "Yeah, I'm sure I would have figured a way to knock sense into him regardless of my powers." She fidgeted with the silken edge of her sleeve. "Thanks again. I didn't fancy being a science project; even for someone as prestigious as Tony Stark."

Thor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Anthony Stark is a formidable human, but it was clear to me that your place was with us, here."

Kagome pulled away and walked toward the vast window, taking in the texture of the sky. It felt like so long since she had really seen its beautiful blues, and the ethereal hints of pink that shimmered across this magical realm for herself. "I… I can't stay here, Thor. I can't stay in the palace anymore."

xxx

mb: well, I received a very passionate review the other day (was it yesterday?) asking about the feasibility of SHIELD seeking out Kagome for her priestess powers, since they are really meant to harm demons, not aliens or humans, etc. I really appreciated it, and although I didn't address it at length in this chapter, I mentioned the improbability of her powers working on Loki because he is a God. I thought about the logic, and I decided that her zaps were more like "really annoying healing" zaps than "really annoying purification" zaps because Loki is a damaged soul, not a demon. Also, I would say that SHIELD simply wanted to research her. I don't think I implied any more than that previously, but I'm just reiterating since it wasn't clear.

I take reviews very seriously, so please continue to let me know what you think, if you feel like it, but know that I can't accommodate every issue because this is just fan fiction, and there is no way I will have the fortitude to change everything. Just blame it on my ignorance if I don't get around to it.


	15. Chapter 14: Study Abroad

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 14: Study Abroad

Thor's smile fell. "Surely you cannot mean—"

Kagome turned to Thor, smiling. "I have to leave, if I would like to train."

"Train?"

"I've decided that I'm going to be a real priestess, Thor."

Thor's shoulders sagged with relief, "So you will not be leaving us, then."

Kagome laughed, "Oh, I'll be leaving. But only for a few decades."

"D-decades? But will your mortal body not age?" He was absolutely confused.

"Your father said that I could have a golden apple." Picking lint off of her tunic, Kagome frowned.

"Should you not be joyous over eternal life? You will be able to live without the burden of time looming over your shoulder!"

Kagome smiled over at the kind God, "It's really not that simple for a human, Thor. It's going to take time to adjust; a year may mean very little for you, but you've been living that way for your entire life. I'll have to get used to that. AND be training at the same time—oh…" Kagome buried her face in her hands, "what am I getting myself into this time!"

Thor chuckled, "Do not worry, Kagome. You will do splendidly well, I am sure."

From behind her fingertips, Kagome sighed, "Yeah, whatever. Just wait outside for me to change so we can go see Loki, okay?" She lifted her face to look Thor in the eyes, "It's going to be my last time for a while, so I want to look extra nice."

Smiling, Thor bowed, "As you wish, Lady Kagome."

"HA! I'm not a priestess yet, buddy; don't you get ahead of yourself!" Kagome strode over to Thor and stretched on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Thor."


	16. Chapter 15: Second Thoughts

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 15: Second Thoughts

On her way to Loki's Prison cell, Kagome insecurities came out of hiding. "Oh geeze," she thought to herself, as Thor hummed some cheery victory tune. "What if he doesn't reciprocate, and I'm just being stupid, and naïve, and hopeful, and too much of a girl about this whole situation!"

She clenched her hands into fists in an attempt to re-steel her resolve. "No! Snap out of it! It'll be fine! Even if he doesn't feel the same, you still want to be a priestess and stuff, and the Gods aren't cruel—well, they do have a mean streak, but that's beside the point—you'll find true love eventually." Kagome shook her head, "Maybe I _am_ too naïve… true love? Oh, gosh. Way to set yourself up for failure there, Kagome." If Thor hadn't been with her, Kagome would certainly be saying these things aloud, but there was no need to worry her friend; after all, she was going to see Loki regardless of whether or not she felt like she was going to throw up everything she had ever eaten in her lifetime.

Kagome had been so wholly immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Thor had quit his off-key humming, and was staring at her curiously. She also didn't notice the _reason_ that had caused Thor to stare at her—her hands had breached past their normal nervous habit of fidgeting with the ends of her hair, and were currently braiding a thick lock by her left ear.

"Kagome, you are quite more dexterous that I would have expected."

Drawn from her thoughts, Kagome looked at Thor blankly as they continued to walk. "What?"

"You are braiding your hair."

She stopped walking. "I am?" Thor stopped walking as well. "Well, I guess I am!" She brushed the braid away, pulled her hands from her hair, and tucked them away in her trouser pockets. "That's really embarrassing. I think I'm just really nervous about seeing Loki."

Thor chuckled, "Do not worry; I am certain Loki will be just as nervous speaking to you. I have never seen him so captured by a single being before."

Kagome smiled, and jogged after Thor, who had begun to walk again. The acidic churning in her stomach had calmed with his words, and Kagome found that, for the millionth time that month, she was very grateful that she had been whisked away to this magical place. Finally they stopped at the door, which Kagome had grown very fond of.

"Gather your wits about you," Thor whispered, "we're here."


	17. Chapter 16: Brief Reunion

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 16: Brief Reunion

"Kagome!" Loki stood from the spot he had sulkily taken on his bed. His entire body grew warm at the sight of her smile; he had been worried she wouldn't see him based on her expression when she incapacitated him.

"Loki," She said. She walked from the entrance over to where he was standing, "Loki, I'm here to say goodbye." The resignation in his eyes nearly killed her, but Kagome knew that this had to be done. "Loki—look at me." He dragged his gaze from the wall down to her when her fingertips reached up to caress his cheek. "Loki, I'm leaving now, but I'll be back, and when that happens, I'll be a trained priestess, and you'll be free."

The dismal haze that had blurred his emerald irises cleared, and he placed his hand over hers, bringing her fingertips to his lips to lay a light kiss on them. He then lowered their hands and grabbed her other hand, bringing them together, absorbing and memorizing their gentle warmth. "If you don't come back, I'll have to kill someone."

Kagome giggled at the earnest expression on his face. It was in no way malicious, but she knew he was absolutely telling the truth. "Please don't; I'll be back." She promised. She felt the flush rise into her cheeks at his warm smile.

"When you say that you will be back, and I will be free…"

"I come back a week before your release." She said.

"You will choose me as your God?"

Kagome grinned cheekily and pulled her hands from his grasp, abruptly pulling his head down by the back of his neck. After a kiss so quick Loki almost missed it, he saw that Kagome had found her way back at the door, "Only if you're lucky!" With a wink, she skipped out of the room past Thor who was doing his best not to laugh. Loki's eyes sparkled, and he smiled mischievously at the closed door.

"It is a good thing that I am the luckiest man in the world."

xxx

mb: I am out of town this weekend (with no internet) so I'll update twice tomorrow if I get the chance, and probably (once) Sunday night (because I get back on Sunday evening).

So, they finally kissed. Sort of. Whatever; it's close enough.


	18. Chapter 17: Really Annoying

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 17: Really Annoying

Kagome had been allowed to shower and ready herself for the first meeting with the trained priestess who would teach her. Thor had let her know that everything would be provided for her when she went to train—from clothes to shampoos—most importantly, the golden apple. Since she didn't have a wide range of clothes—fancy gowns aren't particularly practical for guards—for her meeting with Odin and the Goddess that would be her master, Kagome had decided to wear her favorite olive-green tunic and plain, cotton trousers. However, as she stood in front of Odin, Frigga, and two regal women adorned in flowing satins that looked as though they were made of silver and gold, Kagome felt a bit underdressed.

"Kagome," Odin said. "This is Idun," he gestured to the woman in gold, "and Freyja," he gestured to the woman in silver. "Freyja is the Goddess whom you will train under. Idun brought you a gift."

Kagome smiled weakly, "H-hi."

Idun swept forward, "Congratulations, mortal. Not many get this offer." From the folds of her gown she produced a single, golden apple. Her eyes sparkled as she looked down at Kagome, "Greet Loki for me next time the two of you meet. I am certain he will not have forgotten me." Kagome looked up at her, a spike of jealousy curdling her stomach, but immediately felt guilty, because of the sour expression that overtook the Goddess at her own mention of Loki, and gratefully took the apple from the her. "I mean no offense when I say this, however, I must admit that I find him quite detestable."

Freyja snorted, "Idun, that was _centuries_ ago. Leave it to rest." Idun's cheeks colored burgundy and she glared over at the other Goddess. She opened her mouth to retort, but Kagome beat her to it.

"It's fine; I'm sure whatever happened was his fault. Thanks." Feeling stifled by the curious gaze of the golden goddess of youth, Kagome clammed up until the Goddess replaced herself at the side of Odin.

"Alright," Freyja strode to Kagome, her nose pointed high, "now give it to me." She placed her elegant hand out, and Kagome looked at Freyja like she had grown a second head.

"But—"

Freyja glared down at Kagome with stormy silver eyes alight, "But nothing, girl. You will not need that for another few decades. You only partake in the Golden Apple when you reach the years past your prime." The silver-clad goddess looked Kagome up and down, "You appear to be in your twentieth year or thereabout. You will not need it for several decades—though humans age faster than we do. I will hold it for safekeeping." Hesitantly, Kagome passed her apple to Freyja. "Good." Freyja stepped back, "Remind me in a few decades to return this to you if I do not remember for myself."

Freyja looked over at Odin, Frigga, and Idun. "Well, the girl and I will be leaving. We have all been introduced, and her apple has been recieved; I need to speak to her privately now." Freyja ushered Kagome to follow her long strides as Odin grumbled to Frigga about bossy Goddesses who are too big for their boots. "Come, girl. Ready yourself for the education of the Vala."

Kagome had the horrible feeling that she was in for a hell of a few decades.

xxx

mb: hoy! I actually did some research for this chapter! How unusual! I am tooting my own horn here, but I'm just saying. Anyway, Freyja is the goddess of love, fertility, gold, and (for some reason) war and death. Idun is the goddess of youth and stuff, because she is the keeper of the golden apples. Also, the apples apparently only restore the person who eats it back to their youthful days, so oops, I added it in to clarify. Uh… I know I said stuff about immortality with the apples in previous chapters (like in chapters 10 and 11), but I'm just gonna wave it away by claiming that, although Odin said it and stuff, this is totally what he meant. YUP. Definitely. I mean, it's kind of like immortality because you never die, although the means by which you keep living are different than I thought. ANYway, finally, a Vala is basically a priestess. They had to give up having husbands, I think, but yeah right like that's going to happen in this story; I'm going to address it in the next chapter (if I remember) because (spoiler, but not really) Kagome and Loki are totally going to get together.

Everything I found, I found on Wikipedia, so please forgive any mistakes. Blame the power of the Wiki.


	19. Chapter 18: Strict Rules

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 18: Strict Policies

After walking for hours—out of the palace and along many winding roads—Freyja finally stopped at the base of, what appeared to be, a staircase with no top. She turned suddenly to Kagome, who had been warily eyeing the staircase since she had first seen it miles back, "We will be climbing up."

"…Do I get a break first?"

The beautiful Goddess's gaze could have cut stone, Kagome was sure, "Absolutely not. You are the apprentice of a Goddess now. You will not trifle with mortal whims; you tire too quickly. Kagome was extremely tempted to refuse to climb the stairs, but decided that Freyja would have no mercy. Reluctantly, Kagome began to make her way up the stairs. Freyja followed with no indication of tiring soon—unlike Kagome whose calves had begun to burn after the first twenty steps.

"It's been too long since I climbed the steps back home," she silently lamented to herself, "though I'm not sure it would help much in this situation." She glanced up again to see if she would be able to discern an end, but it was, unsurprisingly, just as endless as it had been less than five minutes prior.

"Girl, listen to me. Once you reach the top of these steps, you will have completed the first of your daily training duties." Kagome groaned at Freyja's words. She was going to have to do this every day! "As my apprentice, you will be both physically and mentally fit, thus improving your will and fortitude. Vala were very important to the mortal society that worshipped us, and, although they are gone, their practices are still very important to us. You grew up in a very different society with very different gods and goddesses, so I will explain it to you."

Kagome's breaths had become a bit labored, and she was annoyed at how daintily Freyja could trek up the stairs while still talking Kagome's ears off. "Vala are basically priestesses, aren't they?" Kagome managed to puff out without sounding like she wanted to die from exhaustion.

Freyja laughed, and, irritated though she was, Kagome found the twinkling laugher almost enchanting and almost refreshing, "Not really. Vala were mortal women who practiced sorcery, prophesy, and shamanism. But your _talents_ are different than the traditional Vala. You excel in none of those areas, according to the Allfather. He says you have a strong affinity toward protection and healing, so that is what you will study." Kagome nodded, wiping sweat from her forehead.

After a few minutes, Freyja spoke again, her voice softer, "I see you are suffering; I would allow you a break if I were not so certain you would not get back up again for hours." Kagome coughed—it was the closest she could get to laughing—and nodded. "Don't worry; we are half way to the top." Alarmed, Kagome looked up and back down to the bottom. Apparently more time had passed than she had been aware of, because they were indeed about half way; Kagome was just thankful she could see the top now.

"Vala traditionally are older women who have cut ties with family." At Kagome's worried look, Freyja rolled her eyes, "Do not worry. Odin explained your _situation_ with the miserable trickster. I do not know what you have done to capture his attention, but you will be allowed to be with him if you both agree."

"I listened to him." Kagome managed, as her protesting legs forced her to stop.

Freyja stopped as well, "What?"

"I," Kagome coughed a bit, "I said I _listened_ to him." After a few moments of trying to gulp in air, Kagome continued weakly, "It seems like no one else here did. That's how I "captured his attention.""

Freyja stared curiously at the exhausted girl, who was bent in half trying to catch her breath, and smiled. "She is compassionate." She thought, "A very mortal trait. But a good trait nevertheless."

After a few moments, Kagome looked at Freyja. Although Kagome was still obviously not fully recovered, she lifted her foot to the next step, "I have the feeling I'm not going to be able to feel my legs in the morning, but I think I'll be okay to start walking again. Thanks for letting me have a break."

Freyja rolled her eyes, "Well, you are doing better than I expected you to do, so I decided that there was no harm in allowing you to rest."

Kagome smiled and began to force her body up the steps again. "Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought it would," she thought, focusing on the ever-nearing top of the staircase.

xxx

mb: Oh that Freyja. Just a big softie. A big, annoying, super arrogant softie. Last update till either Sunday or Monday. Not sure which. We'll play it by ear, hm? As one faithful reviewer pointed out, I have been updating once a day since I started this, and I decided that my update schedule would be one every day because I knew that I would get super lazy and stop updating after a while if I didn't. (Which is basically what happened to all of my other stories. Though, it's probably best I didn't finish most of them; I had no idea where I was going with any of them, and they weren't very good anyway.) Well, thanks for sticking with me, and for all of the wonderful reviews!


	20. Chapter 19: Montage

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 19: Montage

Kagome had thought that there couldn't have been anything worse than having to run the 3,933 steps (she counted), but then she hit her third year of training.

"Congratulations," Freyja had said flatly, waking Kagome an hour earlier than normal, "You've graduated to the next level of your training." At first, Kagome had been excited; for those three years, Freyja had made Kagome do nothing but the same chores she had done at her home shrine: sweeping the grounds, tending to the trees, dusting, daily prayers, etc. But then, Kagome learned what her new tasks would be. In addition to running up and down the stairs twice a day and her cleaning duties, Kagome had to learn Stav—a Nordic martial art, which she had never heard of until Freyja introduced her to it—with both a bow and arrow and a staff.

After another nine years, Kagome again thought that she had finally begun to settle into her daily routine; practicing with her staff and her bow an arrows had become meditative, and all of the stretches and stances she practiced flowed easily from her fingertips to her toes. It was at this point that Freyja had again woken Kagome an hour earlier than normal to notify her that she would be increasing her training load. Now, in the early afternoons until late in the night, Kagome would travel down to the main part of the city and go to the hospice to work on her bedside manner and non-magical healing abilities. "Essentially," a very annoyed Kagome thought to herself every time she began the three-hour trek to the glorified outpatient clinic, "I'm just a normal old nurse!" When she voiced her thoughts to Freyja, the Goddess had rolled her eyes, but said nothing, and Kagome knew better than to push the topic, so she went along with it.

Kagome rejoiced at the fifteen-year mark, when Freyja finally told her that she would be cutting Kagome's hospice hours so that she could return to the temple sooner to work on her regulations and manipulations of her energies. For several decades this pattern continued before Freyja and Kagome had their first non-training interaction.

"Kagome." Freyja said one day during Stav training as she corrected the younger woman's stance, "you should be in your sixty-first year, should you not?"

Kagome had jolted the moment Freyja had said her name as it was the first time the Goddess had called her by her name—it had also been so long that Kagome had almost forgotten the sound of her own name. She nodded, and relaxed to the resting pose, following Freyja's example. Kagome had not seen herself in a mirror since before she had started her training, though she had been able to see that she was quite fit, and her skin remained smooth and youthful from her active lifestyle—though, she also had the feeling the Shikon had influenced her aging a bit, she couldn't say how much it had, but she couldn't imagine that it would be too great.

"Though you certainly age faster than I, as a Goddess, so, your appearance is that of a year hardly older than when we first met. Perhaps your thirtieth, if even that. Have I been mislead in my belief about how rapidly humans decay?" Freyja looked more annoyed than anything, though her voice shone with genuine curiosity.

"No," Kagome replied, "humans age relatively quickly. I am the keeper of a relic that slows down my aging, I guess. But I'm surprised it's by so much!"

"Have you not noticed the supple quality of your own skin, girl?" Freyja asked.

"Well," Kagome said, "I just assumed that it was good genetics or something." The dry look on Freyja's beautiful face made Kagome blush.

"I do not know of what a "genetics" is, but I assure you, as you are human, it is probably poor."

"Probably," Kagome laughed off Freyja's arrogance, knowing that the Goddess meant no harm; it was in her personality to be carelessly arrogant.

"You will not need your golden apple until we finish your training. That is all I meant to say by bringing up the topic of your youth." Freyja said. Kagome knew that the conversation was over, and went back to training.

Another decade passed without many words of encouragement of any sort, until the morning of the fifty-first year. "Good morning, Kagome." Freyja greeted at their morning meal. "Today is your last day in my home. You will need to do no training, but you will take today to choose the God you will serve for the rest of your immortal existence—though, I suppose, you have already chosen." Freyja placed on the table Kagome's golden apple, and pushed it to the girl across the tabletop. "You will look youthful for your God, for he will hardly look a decade older than he did when you parted, and you have aged at least two."

Annoyed, but nevertheless grateful, Kagome took her apple, and stood up to bow to the Goddess in thanks. Although Freyja had not been the mot cordial mistress, she had been attentive and dutiful, and Kagome knew that she must have been just as difficult for the Goddess to handle as the Goddess was for Kagome to handle.

"Thank you, Freyja. I will be sure to carry your training with me for the rest of my days." When Kagome straightened her back, she could have sworn that there was a gentile dusting of the most beautiful pink upon Freyja's cheeks.

"Just shut up and eat your breakfast," the flustered Goddess mumbled.

xxx

mb: sorry I didn't get to update yesterday. I was swamped with last minute work to do (because I procrastinated). I'll get one more chapter out in the next few hours before midnight to make up for it. Promise.

Also, I know this isn't my best chapter, I'm sorry. I wasn't entirely sure how to handle five-ish decades in a single chapter. Also, everything moves in threes or nines because those numbers are apparently important to Norse mythology. Also, also, The staircase isn't actually that tall; apparently there is one-here on earth! (lol)-that is over 11,000 steps! (too lazy to look up the exact number, sorry)


	21. Chapter 20: Home

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 20: Home

When Kagome arrived at the palace later in the afternoon, Thor was standing at the gates to greet her.

"Kagome!" He shouted to her, waving his arms enthusiastically the moment he saw her gliding up the steps, "Congratulations! Welcome back!" Though his smile was innocent and composed enough, Thor could not help but find himself slightly flustered by the revived beauty of the woman approaching. "Training has graced her with a wondrously bright glow, which has made her quite attractive," He couldn't help but think with a reproachful clench of his fist.

Kagome smiled, and skipped up the stairs with an ease and alacrity that seemed to surprise Thor. "Thor! I've missed you!" They embraced, and Thor warmly kissed the crown of her head. They parted after a moment, and he began laughing.

"Freyja has grown quite fond of you! She spoke very highly of your resolve and, what she calls, your "human virtues."" Kagome giggled at the expression, and Thor placed a large hand on her hair affectionately. "But you have been well missed here in the castle. By myself, of course, but especially by Loki, who seems to have been counting the days until your return. He has been quite restless since the morning time."

Kagome smiled fondly at her friend, "I've chosen a God."

"'Tis my brother, no doubt!" Thor said, laughing at Kagome's modest blush. "I should be saddened by the lost opportunity to gain such a wonderful priestess."

"Yeah, well, I'll always be your friend, and—if I play my cards right—I may be your sister one day too!"

"Yes," Thor said with a slight delay. After another quiet moment, despite her eager eyes, hungry for news of his brother, he asked, "I hear that your tale is quite remarkable—though, you did not impart the full story to Freyja—and that you age almost as we do!" His smile was dimmed, and Kagome had the feeling he was not allowed to welcome Jane into the fold of Asgard.

"Yes, well, I will tell you my full story some day soon. I'm sorry about Jane," she finished quietly.

The melancholy in Thor's countenance made Kagome's heart overflow with sympathy, and she placed a hand on his arm. "I made the request," he said. "But after a long consideration, Father decided that we should not make an exception for her; she would have not a productive duty in our halls." His eyes looked toward the Rainbow Bridge. "I do not doubt that I loved her more than any man—God or Mortal—could, however, I understand why Father's ruling was at it had been, and I took care of her until the day she found a mortal man who would do the same until their dying days." Thor smiled contentedly, but Kagome bit back her tears, and leaned forward to, once again, embrace her friend, in an effort to provide comfort to his aching heart. "Ah," he sighed, "do not mourn for me, Kagome. I loved her to the absolute, and I enjoyed being with her and learning from her until the moment of our parting. I could not have asked for a more wonderful romance." Thor rested his hand on the small of Kagome's back as she pulled away, and he guided her toward the main hall where he told her that she could find Loki. Smiling, he pounded a fist upon his chest, and waited until Kagome was several yards away before he spoke again, "It may be my turn to pine for you for a moment, dear Kagome, but this irregular beating of my heart will quell itself, surely, when I see the effect of your appearance upon Loki." Thor watched wistfully as her ethereal, white silken gown—a near exact copy of Freyja's, save for the color—beckoned behind her, dancing with the tendrils of the winds upon Asgard.

As for Kagome, when she walked through the door to the Great Hall, her heart pounding in her ears, her whole body thrummed with a feeling she had been searching for since the moment she had been abandoned by the Feudal Era. She saw Loki—who hadn't spotted her yet—distracted by his pursuit to glare his dopey guard to death, and she felt a single tear gather at the corner of her cheek.

"I'm home."

xxx

mb: well, well. Oopie daisy, Thor. Too bad about Jane, but I just really couldn't be bothered. Not that I don't like Jane or Thor, I just wasn't having any of it this time. Also, I thought that it would be interesting to switch their roles—in the beginning, Kagome hopelessly pined for Thor, and now (for just a little while; I'm not cruel) Kagome has caught Thor's fancy.

Five chapters and an Epilogue to go. Happy reading!


	22. Chapter 21: Chosen

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 21: Chosen

Kagome knew the moment Loki saw her in the doorway. His eyes absolutely exploded with emotion, and Kagome was sure—if he had use of his legs, which had been chained—he would have bounded over and tackled her, much like she was about to do to him.

"Kagome!" Loki shouted; it was the most he could do at the moment. He watched her dash over in a breathtaking gust of white, flowing cloth. Her eyes shone with a terrible longing that Loki was certain his own gaze mirrored, and when she embraced him, Loki's whole body warmed and relaxed into hers. "My dear Kagome." He murmured, caressing her chin with his fingertips lovingly, not willing to let his cuffs completely disable him.

The kiss that followed was filled with the ache of decades of loneliness, but was abruptly ended by Loki's awful guard hollering "OI! Cut it out, yeah! What are you? A couple of pubescent mortals? Get on with it, then." The ferocity of the annoyance buzzing in Loki's bright irises made Kagome giggle, though they did, hesitantly, separate.

"Sorry," She bashfully mumbled to the burly brute, before turning back to Loki. "I'm here to invite you to my commitment ceremony! I've chosen a God." The cheeky grin on his face made Kagome pout. Fiddling with the hems of his wrinkled tunic, she grumbled, "I never said it was you, y'know."

Loki gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek, "And yet, I am certain that it is me."

Kagome shrugged in acquiescence, "Alright, you got me. You're coming, right?"

Though he wished to tease, he didn't have the heart at the moment, "Of course, dear." He smiled fondly at her childish cheer, and knew that there could never be a time where he grew weary of her antics.

His guard elbowed him, "It's time to go. Say your goodbyes then, lover boy."

The look in Loki's eyes was fierce, but compliant. "I will see you again on the day of your ceremony." He sighed as she gave him a last quick peck on the cheek. As he was escorted out of the room by the guard, he heard Kagome shout after him.

"Remember to behave, or I'll have to swear to Thor after all!"


	23. Chapter 22: Bride

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 22: Bride

Kagome stared at herself in the long, elegantly decorated mirror provided for her. She had insisted that the tailors make garments that looked like the traditional miko outfits she had so violently protested in her youth. The tailors had made an effort to change her mind, but she insisted that she was by no means a traditional Asgardian priestess, so she should not be dressed as one. In the end the tailors compromised by adding unmistakably Asgardian flourishes to the plain garments she insisted upon.

It would never cease to surprise Kagome how like Kikyou she looked in this outfit. Of course, it also surprised Kagome how much of herself shone past their resemblances in this altered uniform. Looking past her shoulder in the mirror with a sigh, Kagome gazed fondly at Freyja, who was lounging carelessly on a heavily cushioned couch. Kagome was envious of how effortless and beautiful Freyja was able to make all of her actions appear; it was a quality which Kagome had not been able to emulate despite her efforts over the decades of her training. Freyja's cool gaze met hers.

"Are you ready then, Kagome? Today you are rendered a vital part of Asgardian society, and with this distinction begins your eternal life with your chosen God, should he accept you." Freyja looked away to pick at her fingernails, "He would be an idiot not to." She said with an annoyed grimace.

"I'm ready." Kagome said.

"Well, then. Let's get to your ceremony." Freyja gracefully arose from her spot on the couch and extended her slender hand out to Kagome.

Blushing as she took Freyja's hand, Kagome mumbled, "Gee, this feels like a Midgardian wedding. Like, you're giving me to Loki like a father would give their daughter to her husband."

Freyja laughed, and glanced over at her young apprentice, "Well, you have not seen an Asgardian wedding, Kagome. You would be amazed at the extravagances. This ceremony, though it may seem luxurious to you, is naught but a trifle for us. But I suppose your comparison is approximately correct. Do not be nervous; I am certain that Loki is faring just as badly with Thor to watch over him."

Kagome giggled as they turned the corner to the doors which would lead her into the ceremony that would mark the beginning of her new life.

xxx

mb: I'm sorry; I know I forgot to update yesterday. I forgot a lot of things yesterday. Like, going to class. That was a thing I forgot yesterday. I'll post another chapter later to make up for it. For now, I've got to grovel to the professor whose class I missed.


	24. Chapter 23: Groom

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 23: Groom

As Loki stood behind the altar in his temple waiting for Kagome, he couldn't help but fidget with the fringe of the emerald green mantle decorating the table. Odin stood next to him, and when Loki discreetly tilted his head to get a better look at the old man, Odin's gaze immediately snapped to meet his son's. Loki felt his cheeks warm with embarrassment at being caught, and looked away.

"Do not be nervous, boy. It will be a quick ceremony; nothing but stuffy old formalities," he waved his calloused hand about nonchalantly, before chuckling softly. "She has been good for you, son. It would serve you well to treat her like your Queen."

Loki nodded gravely, "I will never stray." He promised solemnly. "Many tricks I have played over the centuries, but I could never hurt her." Odin laughed brashly, giving his son a firm clap on the back. Loki coughed a bit at the rough movement, and gave his father an annoyed look.

"My boy," Odin said with absolute fondness, "Your mother and I…" It was Odin's turn to look away with a flush of embarrassment, "Your mother and I are happy that you have recovered from your ordeals; we have missed your presence in our meal halls."

Loki felt guilty for the troubles he caused, but brushed the damning feeling away with the silent promise to continue to atone. "I have missed the boisterous meals as well," he admitted quietly.

"Just a few more days, Loki." Odin smiled, and he and Loki turned to look at each other. As Loki opened his mouth to reply, the heavy and ornate doors swung open with an effortless _whoosh_.

Kagome stood in the entranceway, gussied up in flowing robes of crimson and silken silver, and Loki was stricken silent by the consuming beauty of her presence.

Next to him, Loki heard Odin's soft sigh, "Are you ready, son?"

A joyous smile broke over Loki's face, "Yes, father. I am ready."


	25. Chapter 24: Vows

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 24: Vows

As Kagome gracefully sauntered from the entrance of the temple toward him, Loki could hardly contain the nervous excitement bubbling beneath his skin. Freyja's regal form followed Kagome's after a few moments, and she began to speak, "I present to you, Loki, beloved second son of Odin, and master trickster, a candidate to enter your eternal priesthood: a priestess by the name of Kagome Higurashi, daughter of two mortals from Midgard." By the end of this speech, both the mistress and apprentice had reached the altar, and respectfully bowed their heads. After a moment, Freyja spoke again, "Though she may seem meek, she has learned to be proficient in the arts of combat, and excels in the areas of healing and endurance." Stepping back, in accordance with the ceremony, she waited for Loki to take Kagome's hands into his own before she continued, "Should you choose accept her into the folds of your temple's cloister, she would most assuredly be your most loyal companion."

Although she did not have to add the last part, Loki suspected that she had done so as a matter of pride. Rolling his eyes, and smiling at Kagome's stifled giggle, he said his lines. "I, Loki, second son of the great Allfather, Odin," Loki paused for a moment to repress a laugh at his father's embarrassed grunt, "have recognized your candidate for my priesthood, and respectfully accept your suit." Looking down into Kagome's glimmering, blue eyes, he spoke again, "Do you accept this decision, Priestess Kagome of Midgardian decent?"

She nodded bashfully, "I do," after a moment, her cheeks flushed, and she added quickly, "ehm, Loki, second son of the great Odin."

"Yes," Odin said after a moment, "Well, as the officiator of this ceremony, I say "Good Job" to all." Odin bowed to his son, Freyja, and Kagome, "Congratulations, Kagome, and I am certain we will see each other again soon enough, hopefully under less boring circumstances." His eyes twinkled mischievously, and he threw back his head in merry laughter as he left the hall.

Kagome giggled at the Allfather's countenance, within which she saw both of his wonderful sons adopted in their own ways. Loki's guard stepped out of a shadowy corner that Kagome had missed at first. Freyja bade Kagome and Loki goodbye, and left the two to settle in to the awkward thickness of Loki's guard and Loki's impertinent annoyance.

Bowing, the guard said, "Congratulations, Lady Kagome. I am sorry to say I must take this guy back to his chambers now."

Kagome sighed, and brought Loki's hands up to her lips to give them a quick kiss. "Just a few more days?" She said sheepishly.

He nodded wearily, "Just a few more days."

xxx

mb: I made up this ceremony, so don't hound me for it, please. Woo! Two chapters left! (Well, a chapter and an epilogue) Some of you, I'm sure are just as weary as Loki. Till then.


	26. Chapter 25: Posting Bail

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Chapter 25: Posting Bail

As she waited outside the doors, Kagome couldn't help but fidget. She rocked back and forth on her heels, nibbled at her fingernails, and tugged at the hems of her sleeves until she was ready to go crazy. She heard voices, though she was unable to distinguish words, and she silently and unsuccessfully willed time to move faster. She was about to break through the doors herself when the door finally began to creak open. Odin stepped through first, and, nodding regally to Kagome—and ignoring her exasperated glare—stepped aside.

Had she not been in the presence of the Allfather, Kagome would have squealed. Loki gracefully stepped through the doors, his ever-cheeky grin sloppily plastered on his face. He was dressed in his old green and black suits, and Kagome couldn't help but find herself awed by how well these semi-formal garments accentuated his figure. She looked down at the floors, embarrassed by the blush she was sure had encompassed her entire face. She had never seen him dressed in anything but plain, and itchy-looking tunics and trousers. At her commitment ceremony, he had worn hyper-formal, special robes, but Kagome had been too worried about tripping or saying something wrong to really take it all in.

Loki lifted her chin, adoring the delicate pink hue her face had taken, "Kagome," he whispered so quietly she almost wasn't sure he had said it. "Kagome, I'm free."

Snapping out of her daze, Kagome returned his brilliant smile with her own pearly whites, "No, Loki," she said with a sigh, "_we're_ free." Loki leaned down to give her a kiss, but was interrupted by the clearing of his former guard's throat.

"Oi! I like to think I suffered too! You were not exactly a model prisoner." The man crossed his arms, and stood in a wide, defensive stance. Odin's laughter brought a rosy red to the man's cheeks.

"Yes, well, we would not have chosen you if you were not capable." Odin said, leading the other away. "Now that you have fulfilled your duty as my son's guard, you certainly deserve a vacation!"

The muscular man disappearing down the corridor with Odin laughed, "A vacation? Now you are talking!"

Kagome giggled at Loki's poisonous glare fixed on the place where the man had disappeared around the corner. "If he were not immune to my magic, he would be nothing but flakes of dust in the wind right now."

Kagome looked up curiously, "He's immune?"

Loki sighed and nodded, returning his fond gaze to Kagome, "It is why he was chosen. He is too simple to be tricked, immune to my magic, too physically strong for me to oppose, and his awareness is keen." He sighed again, "Although, when he snores at night, it sounds like a mountain being dragged across boulders, so I suspect he was also chosen because father knew he would irritate me."

Kagome laughed, and buried herself in his embrace. Pulling back a bit, she placed a hand on the back of his neck to pull him down low enough to give him a kiss.

"Welcome home, Loki."


	27. Epilogue: Now and Forever

Punishment

Inuyasha-Avengers

Kagome-Loki

Comedy, Romance

Series

For his misdeeds on Midgard, Loki was given only one punishment: Kagome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Avengers, Inuyasha, or Norse Mythology. Also, I'm sorry if there are lots of facts that are wrong, or don't make sense and stuff.

Epilogue: Now and Forever

When she was a little girl, Kagome had always imagined that, in her adult years, she would live in a pastel green, western-style house with a white picket fence, and a garden full of sakura trees. When she was travelling through Sengoku Jidai, Kagome had always imagined that, once she finished collecting the jewel shards, she would end up in a small forest hut with Inuyasha making a living by helping nearby villages with rogue demons and trading herbs for food and amenities. However, now that she was with Loki, Kagome couldn't imagine a more perfect life than she had. Every day she travelled around with the man she loved, and every day they made mischief in all corners of the universe. She essentially got to make a living being a rascally child with the ideal partner in crime.

Loki also was very pleased with how everything turned out. To whomever would listen, he would say that he planned it this way, but Kagome or Thor were always there to remind Loki that he was really "just very lucky," at which statement, he would blush, but consent to the fact. Nevertheless, Loki made sure to take advantage of everything he had taken for granted before his imprisonment, and before he met Kagome. Every night, he and Kagome merrily participated in the dinner festivities in his father's dining hall, and every night he wondered how he could have been so irritated by all of the lively chatter and friendly banter before. Everything seemed so much more exciting than it had been, and Loki knew that he had Kagome to thank for lifting a curtain to the wonders of the cosmos, which he had originally dismissed as boring.

Together they were very happy, and together they spent the centuries looking for innocent troubles to stir up, and fulfilling missions for Odin. Neither would ever be alone again, and neither would ever again long for a place to call home.

xxx

mb: woah, so it's over now. Thanks for hanging in there with me! Also, I'm sorry if this chapter is kind of lame; I may edit it later to be better, but I seem to have some sort of mental block against finishing this story. I'm really going to miss it. I would especially like to that those who took the time to review (especially Silversun XD, Infinities Lover, Kira Kyuu, Jerrico's Pain, and grimmich, who wrote in many times), and I hope that this story was able to live up to any expectations you all had. Until next time (if I can come up with another idea), thanks again.


End file.
